Lyft feature will increase female riders' likelihood of being paired with a female driver in Milwaukee

A new feature on the popular rideshare app Lyft will allow female and nonbinary riders in Milwaukee to increase their likelihood of being matched with a non-male driver on their next trip.

Lyft's Women+ Connect feature launched in San Francisco, Chicago, Phoenix, San Diego and San Jose in September, and, on Nov. 2, it debuted in 50 additional U.S. cities, including Milwaukee.

Lyft says the new feature strives to give women and nonbinary drivers "more control over their driving experience, offering them more choice in how they earn." It also aims to help female and nonbinary passengers feel safer and more comfortable.

While ridesharing has proven itself a largely safe practice, a 2020 Alarms.org report found that 23% of women surveyed reported uncomfortable driver behavior to Uber, while 15% of women surveyed said they had reported a driver’s behavior to Lyft. The study also found that nearly 45% of female riders preferred a woman driver, while only 9% preferred a male.

Here's what to know about Women+ Connect and how to use it on your next rideshare trip.

How does Lyft Women+ Connect work?

Female and nonbinary drivers and riders have the option to turn on the Women+ Connect feature in the Lyft app in cities where the feature is available.

If drivers turn on this preference, Lyft will prioritize matches with nearby female and nonbinary riders who've also turned on the Women+ Connect preference. Both drivers and riders can turn this feature on or off at any time. In order to use Women+ Connect, drivers and riders should have the latest version of the Lyft app.

Women and nonbinary riders in cities where Women+ Connect is available will be prompted in the app to opt in or out of the new feature.

In its five-city pilot this fall, Lyft found that "more than half of eligible drivers and about 200,000 eligible riders" have opted in to use the feature.

Important to know: Using Women+ Connect does not mean a rider will be paired with a woman or nonbinary driver every time they ride with Lyft, it just increases the likelihood. When a Women+ Connect driver is unavailable, riders may still be paired with a male driver.

Lyft reported that riders who opted in during the first six weeks of the launch in the five early access cities had about 60% more rides with female or nonbinary drivers.

Will Lyft Women+ Connect riders have to wait longer for a ride?

"For riders using Women+ Connect, most ride wait times will stay the same," Lyft says.

In what cities is Lyft Women+ Connect available?

As of Nov. 2, 2023, Women+ Connect is available in the following cities:

USA TODAY reporter Mary Walrath-Holdridge contributed to this report.

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: New Lyft feature pairs female, nonbinary riders, drivers in Milwaukee